Cultural Beliefs and Practices Affecting the Utilisation of Health Services during Pregnancy

Abstract

In India, girls are married off at a young age, sometimes as low as 9-11 years. It is note-worthy that about 43% of all female deaths are of girls between fifteen and twenty years of age and the causes of maternal mortality are pregnancy complications, early pregnancy, abortion, deaths due to bleeding anaemia etc. Early marriage, early conception, negligible antenatal care, general negligence of women and low social status, all lead to increased mortality rates.